The Saga Continues…

Module- 2
V. Meenakshi
PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Howard Carter
Howard Carter was British archaeologist and Egyptologist.

This sponsored - excavation of King Tut’s mummy gained him worldwide

popularity.

Several years of long research in the valley of Kings and an accidental finding of
King Tut’s Mummy received a wide media coverage in the year 1922.

Carter catalogued meticulously thousands of things, 5000 to be precise, found

inside the burial chamber of King Tut.

The tomb of Tut is considered to be one of the very few pharaohnic tombs that
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remained intact even after years. AECS, Kaiga
The Mazy Burial Chamber

V. Meenakshi
PGT (English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Artefacts found inside Tut’s burial chamber

 Precious collars, Three nested coffins containing

 Inlaid necklaces and bracelets, A shroud adorned with garlands of
 Rings, willow and olive leaves, wild celery,
 Amulets, lotus petals, and cornflowers
 A ceremonial apron, Board games
 Sandals, A bronze razor
 Sheaths for his fingers and toes, and Linen undergarments
 The iconic inner coffin and mask Cases of food and wine

V. Meenakshi
PGT (English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Howard Carter’s Research
Carter first recorded the list of funerary articles found in Tut’s tomb.

The ritualistic resins applied to the mummy had solidified, cementing it to

the gold coffin.

He tried to separate the mummy from the gold coffin, but in vain.

He tried applying force, he even exposed the mummy to the desert heat of
about 149◦ Fahrenheit.

As nothing could happen, Carter resorted to chiseling the bones which
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resulted in mutilation of the age old Mummy. PGT (English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Mutilated Mummy
Neither force nor heat could budge the carter and his men resorted
to chiseling to remove Tut’s body from the coffin.

In the attempt, they nearly severed every major joint including the
skull.

The body was later reassembled in a wooden box, after padding

the skeletal remains to conceal the damage.

Carter’s focus was majorly on unravelling the treasure. V. Meenakshi

PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Findings- Carter
• Carter’s findings paved way to a renewed interest in Egyptian
antiquities.

• Royals lived an affluent life. Carter’s finding of a treasure trove of

sheer gold and things were proof enough for that.

• It was one of the tombs that was not ransacked by tomb robbers.

• Egyptians’ belief in after life was reiterated.

• The burial of Tutankhamun would have taken place in March or April

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(owing to the presence of the seasonal flowers in Coffin 1). PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Next Phase- Research in 1968
In the year 1968, R. G. Harrison, a professor of anatomy, x-rayed
Tut’s Mummy using an a portable machine to determine age and
cause of death etc.,

It was found that the breast bone and most parts of frontal ribs
were missing.

There was a bulge in the back head and a curvature in the

backbone.

Harrison believed they might have been removed because they

were badly damaged before his death due to an accident. V. Meenakshi
PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Findings - R. G. Harrison

 Tut’s death may be incidental or accidental than natural.

 The curvature in the backbone would have been due to

embalming.

 This theory of death being incidental or accidental was discredited

after further research. V. Meenakshi
PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Egyptian Mummy Project
Egyptian Mummy Project was an ardent effort to invent the non-royal mummies in
Egypt.
 About 600 mummies have been recovered so far.

This project was envisioned and executed by Zahi Hawas, the archaeologist and
Egyptologist who was working under the aegis of Supreme Council of Antiquities.

He began working on an inventory in the late 2003, of scanning and recording details
about mummies.

To execute this project, a portable CT scan machine was donated by National
Geographic Society and Siemens, the manufacturer, jointly.

 King Tut was one of the first mummies to be scanned in that project.

The project has analyzed the mummies forensically using modern techniques. V. Meenakshi
PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga
 Computer Tomography- 2005

 The body of King Tut was brought out of the tomb to be scanned.

 It was carried onto a ramp and a flight of stairs.

 A hydraulic lift fitted with the scanner rose to record the details.

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AECS, Kaiga
 Findings – Zahi Hawas
1,700 digital X-ray images in cross section were created through CT scan.

Tut’s head and other parts of the body were scanned in 0.62 millimetre slices to register its
intricate structures With Tut’s entire body in the presence of a team of specialists in
radiology, forensics and anatomy.

Due to this study, we could have precise findings coming into picture.

King Tut was found to be 19 at the time of death based on the bone density.

There was no proof established on congenital diseases through this study.

The structure of his body underwent an extensive analysis in comparison to the fellow
mummies.

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The supposed face of King Tut based on its structure was reconstructed.
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AECS, Kaiga
 Changing Faces of archaeology
 The archeological research has evolved.

 From chiseling to X-raying to Computer Tomography to DNA fingerprinting,

everyday the intricate details of Tut’s life and death come to light.

 The new research in archeological finger printing has brought to light King
Tut’s lineage, his parents being siblings, and he inherited the large hip bones
and certain other effeminate qualities from his ancestors like Amenhotep
III.

 The new techniques of archaeology claims that King Tut died of a V. Meenakshi
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combination of congenital diseases and malaria and so on. AECS, Kaiga
 Pharaoh’s Curse
The stopping of fans during scanning makes a workman comment that it was Pharaoh’s
curse.

The curse of the pharaohs or the mummy's curse is a jinx said to be cast upon anyone
who disturbs the mummy, especially a pharaoh.

This curse is said to cause bad luck, illness, or death.

A series of deaths of people who were involved directly and indirectly were said to be
subjected to this curse.

 Ever since the death of the first death of Lord Carnarvon, as soon as King’s Tut’s chamber
was opened, many argue that the curse is due to the exposure to harmful bacteria and
heavy radiation inside a desert chamber kept closed for a long time. V. Meenakshi
PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga
 The Writer – A.R. Williams
• Ann Williams is a former senior writer for National Geographic
magazine and online news, for almost three decades.

• She has specialized in Eastern and West Asian archaeology,

Egyptology and Akkadian cuneiform.

• She has been writing featured essays about the antiquities of the
world.

• Her writings feature the most recent archeological discoveries.

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• Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/contributors/w/a-r--williams/ PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga
 References
• https://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/kehb103.pdf

• https://www.biography.com/scientist/howard-carter

• https://www.britannica.com/

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/archaeology/

V. Meenakshi
PGT(English)
AECS, Kaiga